Hyderabad: All set for Ganesh Shobha Yatra

Hyderabad : Notwithstanding the heavy downpour that lashed Hyderabad on Wednesday evening and the red alert issued by the weather office, the devotees are in high spirit to participate in the Ganesh Shobha Yatra on Thursday.

While over one lakh idols would be immersed across the state, in Hussainsagar alone more than 20,000 idols will be immersed. In order to ensure that the idol movement takes place smoothly and at a fast pace, it has been decided that the 63-feet Khairtabad Bada Ganesh will lead the immersion programme. The Khairtabad idol will be the first one to start the journey to Hussainsagar followed by Balapur Ganesh from the other end of the city.

Meanwhile, the administration has made elaborate arrangements for the smooth immersion of the idols in Hussainsagar and other lakes across the city. The Shobha Yatra of Khairtabad’s Bada Ganesh will start around 9 am and will reach NTR Marg around 1 pm and the process of immersion would be over by 1.30 pm.

The GHMC, HMWS&SB, HMDA, Tourism Department, TSSPDCL and the Fire Departments have made necessary arrangements and have deployed personnel and machinery to ensure that the procession continues without any hiccups.

The Balapur Ganesh pandal is the oldest in Hyderabad and leads the Vinayaka procession from the Old City covering 19 km from Balapur to Hussainsagar. Processions from the adjoining areas will join the main procession of Balapur.

Balapur’s 21-kg laddu with 2-kg silver plate started attracting more and more bidders and this year will be the 30th year of the auction. The popularity of the laddu can be gauged by the fact that in the first year, it was sold for Rs 450, which went up to a record Rs 24.6 lakh in the year 2022.

On Wednesday, a coordination meeting was held in which Home Minister Mohammed Mahmood Ali, Hyderabad City Police Commissioner CV Anand, Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi, Deputy Mayor Srilata Shobhan Reddy, GHMC Commissioner Ronald Rose, IVD Director Prakash Reddy and others participated.

Authorities arranged seven immersion platforms in NTR Marg, 14 immersion platforms near Tank Bund, eight cranes near People’s Plaza, seven immersion platforms towards Buddha Bhavan for Ganesh idol immersion. A helipad has been arranged and cranes at the baby pond near Sanjeevaiah Park. Already, 74 artificial ponds, including 27 baby ponds, 24 portable ponds and 23 excavated ponds, were set across Greater Hyderabad. Apart from 453 DRF personnel, over 100 professional divers/expert swimmers near 33 ponds were deployed. As many as 10,500 sanitation workers are deployed in three shifts a day, removing idols in a proper manner after immersion in the water bodies.

Following the rain forecast, the Municipal Corporation kept a tight vigil and has taken appropriate measures to ensure that the devotees do not face any inconvenience during the Shobha Yatra. City Mayor Gadwal Vijayalakshmi directed the officials and monsoon emergency teams to be vigilant. The teams were directed to clear all water stagnation points across the city.

According to city police, along with staff from city police, additional staff from other districts and allied branches bringing the deployment of the force to that of around 25,694 personnel, 125 platoons, 3 RAF Coys, five drone teams and other paramilitary forces are deployed.